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Clark has told the 26-year-old, who has joined Blues on a free from Conference Premier champions Mansfield, to look at the example of others.

“I want him to have the belief that he belongs here,” said Clark. “He’s deserved this opportunity and I’ve got every confidence in him.

“I’m looking forward to working with him and he’ll score goals.

“I just think that when you are a goalscorer, wherever you are playing at, when you have got those natural instincts, you can score goals at any level.

“Not being disrespectful to the players they have got at Mansfield, because they did terrific, it was a great promotion for them, but he is coming into a better standard of player who will create more chances, so it might even be easier for him.

“I said to him the goal is the same size, the ball is the same size, the pitches are the same size whatever level you’re playing at and you’ve got that natural instinct - go and continue it.

“I use examples of Dwight Gayle, who went from non-league Bishop’s Stortford to Dagenham, then Dagenham onto Peterborough and he’s just moved into the Premier League in a multi-million pound deal.

“There are other examples of players coming from non-league and lower levels.

“Rickie Lambert, for one, who has proven to be a fantastic Premier League player. He was playing at Rochdale in League Two six or seven years ago.

“Further back down the line, Kevin Phillips; Lee Novak, who I took from the Conference North to Huddersfield Town.

“The lad is just waiting for the opportunity - and you’ve got to give these players that kind of opportunity.

“As I said to him, if he wasn’t going to get the opportunity at a higher level after the couple of seasons he’s had at Mansfield, it would have looked doubtful if it was ever going to happen.

“And he has had a taste of it in the early stage of his career (at Cardiff City) and that’s part of the reason why he realises this is a second chance, maybe the last chance, for him.

“We’ve got a deal in the offing in terms of another loan signing,” he stated.

“I think we’re going to have to be patient on that one and probably wait until his parent club use him in a couple of the pre-season games on a tour and then if they decide to let him out we’ve been assured that he will be coming to us.

“That will probably take two or three weeks, but I’m ready to do that. You like all your players in as quickly as possible, but if I’ve got to be patient to get the right player, I’ll do that.”

It is well known that Ravel Morrison is one player Clark would like to return to St Andrew’s after his successful loan from West Ham United last season.

But Clark said: “I’m not talking about Rav in this instance.

“I’ve made it clear that I would like to bring Rav back, but that one I need speak to Sam Allardyce about and see what his plans are and also Rav personally.”